Sea sickness while surfing?

[Mark Ramirez]

Seasick while surfing?

ummmmmmmmmm.........................no.

you can try ginger.

Tried it before. I found out that Mary Ann worked better.

When I get tired of that, I'll start on Mrs. Howell.

There you go Kid, Mrs. Howell, the ultimate sugar mama!

[KneeBumps]

Does anybody here get a really queasy stomach while surfing? I get it so bad I have to go in, especially in a bigger, rolling swell. Has anybody ever adapted and gotten their "sea legs" as they're in the water more regularly? If so, how long does it take to adapt? It is a real buzzkill, let me tell 'ya!

Jeffrey,
Ask your physician for a scopolamine patch. It requires a prescription, and I assume it is available in Canada. I fish offshore a good bit and have friends that swear by it- absolutely no nausea within an hour after application. You might experience a bit of drowsiness like with dramamine (which is OTC in the US), but it is apparently much more effective.

What's the situation with kneeboarders in NS? I've been up there twice to surf and never met another KBer. Might come up and visit you this fall, I've been thinking of hurricane chasing up there for a good while.

For those unaware, parts of NS stick out into the Gulf Stream, so that the water is actually warmer than in much of the Northeast and New England.

[Jeffrey]

Thanks for the input...well most of it!

What RMcKnee says is helpful because it is more drastic when in fog, and we surf in fog alot up here. I'll look into the patches but don't want to feel drowsy after surfing. I know the "green" helps with nausea as well...hmmm.

I stumped the Capt? Good! But hey, if I quit and "took ten of my buddies with me" that would only leave 50 other surfers! A very crowded day here would be 20 at the point. LOTS of girl, I mean women, surfers as well.

I am the only KBer here. Lore states that there used to be a KBer here years ago, but he paddled into the mist and was never heard from again.

KneeBumps - you are very welcome to come up here in the Fall, I have plenty of room!

The water IS cold here, but it does warm up in the summer. We have a about a week we can shed wetsuits, a real treat!

[JackG]

I'll admit it, I get seasick while surfing too, especially in mid size long period swell. Bigger or smaller isn't as bad for me. This sometimes limits my sessions to about 90 minutes at a stretch. Boats are bad too, airplanes not at all. Snorkeling? Forget it! Hell, I used to get seasick on my windsurfer on the SF Bay if I was having a bad day and spending too much time in the water after blown gibes. But yet I love the water ...

As RMcKnee said, finding a stable horizon does help. The worst possible thing to do is look down at your board. Look at the shore, the horizon, anywhere but down.

The scopalimine patch is very effective for me. The problem with the patch is that it takes 4 hours to get enough in your system to work. Then it lasts three days. Great for a long weekend though. This winter I got an Rx for scopalimine pills. Effective in 30 minutes, but the side effects are more pronounced that with the patch -- dry mouth, red eye and light sensitivity (remind you of something else that helps with nausea?). I've been "titrating" the dose down to find the right balance. The trick for me is actually REMEMBERING before I leave the house that I need to bring a pill.